We arrived about 1:00pm. Embarkation was a breeze as we had VIP status just because we booked a stateroom with a balcony. (I made a typo in the initial info - our room was actually 9205.) We carried our own bags and went immediately to our room. It was spacious and we were very impressed with our balcony, King sized bed, big bathroom, two large closets, and plenty of drawer space. I really loved having a well lit mirrored vanity area to put on my makeup. We had a fridge, a bar with wine glasses, and a safe. Our room was the first on the right from the front of the ship. We had in front of us a large deck area that was almost always completely empty so it made us feel as though our open space was more than tripled. When the ship was leaving NY harbour we went outside to that deck, took the steps to the highest level and were so impressed with the sight of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and especially, the Verazanno Bridge. In addition, we were able to see two of the temporary waterfall exhibits from the port side of the boat and that was a real treat. Later, we went out to the pool, relaxed, and even went down the slide a few times which was lots of fun even for us grown ups. Our weather at sea was quite good especially Saturday and Sunday. Previous reviews complained about the weather at this time of the year so we were pleasantly surprised. We woke early the first day at port and had breakfast on the balcony. Then we headed out to explore St. John's which is a quaint and charming little city but was a bit dull to see so early in the day as we were some of the first off the ship at 8:00 am. Many of the shops were closed and the Bay of Fundy reversing falls were flat and uneventful. We took a cab to see the falls. It cost $8 and we stayed less than 10 minutes as there was nothing to see at that time of day. The ugly factory across the bay was an eyesore in an otherwise pretty area. We headed back to the ship and booked "head to toe" massages that were greatly reduced in price on the days the ship was at port. They were heavenly and we highly recommend the spa services. Later we took naps ( I haven't had one of those since I was three) and that was sort of fantastic too as the beds were seriously comfy. We had the late seating for dinner and highly recommend that as well. We were concerned how it would be dining with strangers at a table for four but this turned out to be the nicest surprise of our trip. Carnival cruise sat us with the most charming couple on the ship and we totally enjoyed their company. We laughed every night and learned a lot about the ship as Julie did her research before boarding. They told us of the Jazz club and how it was like an undiscovered treasure. Why it was not packed every night is beyond me. It was terrific. One of the passengers brought his sax and was able to play with the group every night and he was so talented and made the experience all the more enjoyable. The day in Halifax was much more fun for us than the one at St. John. We booked a whale watching tour. I got a little seasick on it but not too bad. It was a short excursion and we had plenty more time to explore when we got back. We ate lunch at Murphy's by the sea. It was good but do not order the hamburger unless you like it WELL done as burgers must be cooked to death in Canada. Apparently, it's the law. I enjoyed the Museum there and especially liked the artifacts and information about the Titanic. About the shows-- We enjoyed the comedy show the first night but the second night not so much. The magician was fun and the show was entertaining. The casino was much nicer and a lot bigger than we expected and we spent some time there after dinner. Had a lot of fun at the Roulette table and I enjoyed the slots but did not win on them at all. The singer at the piano bar sounded really good but we did not spend much time there. The only suggestion we would make regarding the cruise would be to make one of the pools and hot tubs 21 and older so that those of us who came without the kids could enjoy them more. All in all we had a fabulous time and would highly recommend this cruise. I am glad that we ignored the warnings about Carnival cruises because we would have missed out on a really great vacation.